Window vent display support flag



March 15, 1966 R sNEDlKER 3,239,957

WINDOW VENT DISPLAY SUPPORT FLAG Filed March 1, 1962 L 1'L. J

INVENTOR Robert A. Sneaiiaer United States Patent 3,239,957 WINDQW VENT DISPLAY SUPPORT FLAG Robert R. Sne'diker, Winnetka, IlL, assignor to Chicago Show Printing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,622 1 Claim. (Cl. 40129) This invention relates in general to a display device for use on moving vehicles and more particularly to a display device which may be carried on the vent window of an automobile.

The present invention seeks to utilize the attractive and eye-catching features resulting from a banner or sign being carried from a moving vehicle as the wind continuously vibrates the sign. This very feature, however, results in a number of problems since the structure which supports the banner must be held securely but at the same time should be economically constructed and facilely mounted.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an economically constructed display device capable of facile mounting on a vehicle without accessory equipment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a display device adapted for facile mounting on the vent window of an automobile.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a display device capable of providing secure and economical support for a banner or other article carried on a standard externally of a moving vehicle.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the display device and a banner carried on the vent window of an automobile;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the display device and banner;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken through the line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken through the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

In the drawings the display device is indicated generally by the reference character 10. It carries a sign or banner 14, at its upper end and comprises a standard 16 terminating in a mounting clamp 18 at its lower end. The mounting clamp 18 is supported on a vent window 20 of an automobile indicated by the broken lines 22 in FIG. 1.

The standard 16 comprises a pair of vertically arranged parallel adjacent wire or rods 24 and 26 having an offset portion 28 intermediate the clamp 18 and the banner 14. The rods 24 and 26 have their lower ends welded or otherwise afiixed to the one side of the mounting clamp 18.

The mounting clamp 18 comprises a generally flat U-shaped plate defined by a pair of side legs 32 and a back leg 34. The legs 32 are spaced somewhat closer together at their open end than at the back leg 34 and each terminates in a slight angularly disposed lip 36 so that the vent window of an automobile may be conveniently received between the legs 32 with a bead 38 of the window securely and firmly held between the legs 32 and adjacent the back leg 34. The legs 32 thus resiliently clamp the standard to the window, it being understood that the bead 38 may or may not be provided. The forward edge 36 of the legs 32 are cut away, as at 36a, to provide an incline o-r taper in the upper edge portion which conforms more or less with the shape of the vent window. This provides not only for better appearance but for a more effective attachment and assembly between the vent window and the clamp 18.

The rod 24 extends upwardly for a desired distance and is then given a right angle bend to form a horizontal 3,239,957 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 lower leg 40 of a loop 42 which is integrally formed between the upper ends of rods 24 and 26. The loop 42 is generally rectangular and is described by the aforementioned horizontal lower leg 40, a pair of vertical spaced apart parallel legs 44 and 46 and another horizontal upper leg 48 parallel to and spaced apart and above the leg 40. The leg 48 is formed with a depending U-shaped bend or loop 50 formed therein intermediate its ends and extends in the direction towards the leg 48. This permits the two legs 44 and 46 to be resiliently moved towards each other so that the banner 14 may be received about the loop 42 snugly held thereon.

The banner 14 comprises a suitable fabric, for example, formed in a closed loop having the co-planar sides 52 and 54 upon which suitable lettering may be disposed and the end portions 56 and 58 are spaced apart by a distance slightly less than the distance between the legs 44 and 46 thereby to be snugly engaged by the vertical legs 44 and 46 of the loop 42. Actually, the end portions 56 and 58 represent the stitching or other means utilized to join the respective ends of the sides 52 and 54 together. The banner is open at its lower end to enable the banner to be slipped downwardly about the loop when the upper portions are flexed to decrease the spaced relationship between the legs 42 and 44.

The display device 10 is supported from the vent window 20 when the window is opened by placing the legs 32 of the mounting clamp 18 over the sides of the window so that the banner 14 is displayed above the automobile. The rods 24 and 26 in this position are disposed so that they have a common axis indicated at 60 in FIG. 3, generally parallel to the direction in which the auto is moving to provide strength and rigidity.

The banner 14 is, of course, subject to considerable variation in wind pressure as the automobile moves with the result that it tends to billow in opposite directions. This results in considerable change in pressure on the legs 44 and 46, however, due to the loop 50, the legs 44 and 46 move easily towards and away from each other to provide sufficient tension on the banner fabric to hold it in position while at the same time preventing the accumulation of such stress on the fabric as would result in its tearing. This resiliency in the support also provides for a more desirable and attractive movement of the banner in response to variable wind pressure whereby a more attractive and more attention-getting display is achieved.

The described invention may, of course, be quite varied in its form, wherefore the scope of the invention is believed more completely set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A display device comprising a single wire section defining an integrally formed rectangular loop terminating in a vertical pair of parallel adjacent rods depending downwardly from one corner of said loop, an olfset portion defined by said rods at a point spaced below said corner, a U-shaped clamp member afiixed to said single wire section at a point on said rods below said olfse't portion, the side walls of said clamp member defining an. interior substantially corresponding in size to the thickness of the vent window of an automobile whereby said device can be carried from said vent window, a banner forming a closed configuration having open ends adapted to be received over said loop with opposite sides of said closed configuration adapted to be engaged under tension with opposite sides of said loop, said loop including substantially horizontally disposed upper and lower legs, one of said legs defining a bend at an intermediate point along its length, said bend defining a U-shaped configuration extending a substantial distance inwardly of said loop, said bend permitting said integrally formed loop to respond to changes in the shape of said banner for engaging said banner snugly irrespective of variations in Wind ressure applied against said banner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Bixby 116175 X Knowles 40125 X Trachtenberg 116-173 X Walton 116-174 Kirik 40128 X Vigliotti 116173 East-man 40l29 Smith 40-125 Davis 40-129 X Flick 40-129 X Irvin 40-129 X MacLea 40129 Ross 40125 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

10 EDWARD V. BENHAM, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners. 

